Switch.



G. W. HART.

SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1913.

1,080,058. I Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

UNITED sTArwENT OFFICE.

GERALD W. HART, OF WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HART MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

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Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application filed April 1, 1913. Serial No. 758,190.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be it known that I,' GERALD W. HART, a

I a foot opera-ted switch for the controlling of starting motors for automobiles.

It further has for its object to produce a foot operated switch which remains closed independent of a slight movement of the foot in a releasing direction.

It further has for its object to provide a switch having a switch arm provided with a multiplicity of contacts of large area which will insure a making of a suflicient contact for low voltage circuits.

The following is a description of my in-' vention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the switch. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the switch showing contacts and support removed from the casing. Fig. 3 is a view looking upward of the casing with the switch terminal support removed. Fig. 4 is a detail of the switch arm.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 is a cast metal casing.

22 are contact members forming arcs of a circle and connected to circuit terminals 33'. These contact members and terminals are insulated from the casing and from each other. Coacting with the switch terminals is a switch arm made up of two cup-like copper members 44: clamped together by a bushing 5 and insulated therefrom.

6 is a guide mounted upon the base of the switch. Above this guide is a push button or plunger 7 having a hollow reduced portion 8, which is surrounded by a spring 9. Within the cavity in the push button is a spring 10 bearing upon the upper end of the" guide 6. The spring 9 bears against the.

moisture-proof. The extension 8 is provided with afia-nge 8, bearing against the lower surface of the bushing 5. The members of the cup-shaped switch arm are provided with slots 13-13 so as to produce a multiplicity of independently yielding contacts.

The operation of the switch is as follows: Pressure is applied to the top of the plunger or push button 7 by the foot, forcing it downward, together with the spring 9. The

spring 9 forces the bushing 5 with the switch arm 4.4 downward until the switch arm engages the contacts 22. After such engagement the foot may be pushed .down slightly farther without afiecting the switch arm, and the pressure of the foot upon the push button 7 may be slightly lessened so as to permit the push button '1 to rise under the action of the spring 10 a slight distance without disengaging the switch arm from the contacts 22. This permits a slight withdrawal of the foot without opening the switch and also prevents any chattering which otherwise would be liable to occur if the switch arm 44 were rigidly connected to the plunger. The two portions of the switch arm engage opposite sides of the contact members. Upon the withdrawal of the foot from the push button the spring 10 forces withdraw the switch arm 41 from the contacts 2-2 and opening the circuit.

As will be evident tothose skilled in the art, modification may be made of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a switch, the combination of switch terminals, aswitch arm for connecting the same, a plunger movable relatively to said switch arm, a spring interposed between said plunger and said switch arm, a second spring normally tending to retract said plunger and open said switch arm, said plunger having a cavity within which said second spring is located, and a guide adapted to enter said plunger and against which said second spring bears.

2. In a switch, the combination of switch terminals, a switch arm for connecting the same, a plunger movable relatively to said switch arm, a spring interposed between said plunger and said switch arm, and a secplunger and open said switch arm, said terininals being arcs of a circle and said switch arm having a plurality of slots dividing it into a plurality of independently yielding contacts constituting arcs of a circle.

3. In a switch, the combination of switch terminals, a switch arm for connecting the same, a plunger movable relatively to said switch arm, a spring interposed between said plunger and said switch arm, and a second spring normally tending to retract said plunger and open said switch arm, said terminals being arcs of a circle and said switch arm being composed of two concentric members engaging opposite sides of said terminals, said members having a plurality of slots dividing them into a plurality of independently yielding contacts constituting arcs of concentric circles.

4. In a switch, the combination of switch terminals, a switch arm for connecting the same, a plunger movable relatively to said switch arm, a spring interposed between said plunger and said switch arm, a second spring normally tending to retract said plunger and open said switch arm, said plunger having a cavity within which said second spring is located, and a guide adapted to enter said plunger and against which said second spring bears, said terminals being in the form of arcs of a circle and said switch arm consisting of two concentric members engaging opposite faces on said terminals, both of said switch arm members being provided with a plurality of slots producing independently yielding surfaces constituting arcs of concentric circles.

5. In a switch, the combination of two contact members connected to switch terminals and being in the form of arcs of a circle, a cup-like switch arm coacting therewith so as to electrically connect and disconnect said contact members, said cup-like switch arm having portions cut away to form yielding contacts for engaging said contact members, and means for actuating said switch arm.

6. In a switch, the combination of two contact members connected to switch terminals and being in the form of arcs of a circle, a cup-like switch arm coacting therewith so as to electrically connect and disconnect said contact members, said switch arm being composed of two concentric cup-like members having portions cut away to form yielding switch arm'contacts, the yielding contacts of the two switch arm members engaging and disengaging opposite sides of the said contact members.

GERALD W. HART.

Witnesses:

H. B. BRowNELL, E. E. MORSE. 

